Evaluation of a dried blood and plasma collection device, SampleTanker(®), for HIV type 1 drug resistance genotyping in patients receiving antiretroviral therapy

AIDS Res Hum Retroviruses. 2014 Jan;30(1):67-73. doi: 10.1089/aid.2013.0127. Epub 2013 Aug 14.

Abstract

Whatman 903 filter paper is the only filter paper that has been used for HIV drug resistance (HIVDR) genotyping in resource-limited settings. In this study, we evaluated another dried blood specimen collection device, termed SampleTanker(®) (ST), for HIVDR genotyping. Blood specimens from 123 antiretroviral therapy (ART)-experienced patients were used to prepare ST whole blood and ST plasma specimens; they were then stored at ambient temperature for 2 or 4 weeks. The remaining plasma specimens were stored at -80°C and used as frozen plasma controls. Frozen plasma viral load (VL) was determined using the Roche Amplicor HIV-1 Monitor test, v.1.5 and 50 specimens with VL ≥3.00 log10 copies/ml were genotyped using the broadly sensitive genotyping assay. The medium VL for the 50 frozen plasma specimens with VL ≥3.00 log10 was 3.58 log10 copies/ml (IQR: 3.32-4.11) and 96.0% (48/50) of them were genotyped. Comparing to frozen plasma specimens, significantly lower genotyping rates were obtained from ST whole blood (48.98% and 42.85%) and ST plasma specimens (36.0% and 36.0%) stored at ambient temperature for 2 and 4 weeks, respectively (p<0.001). Nucleotide sequence identity and resistance profile analyses between the matched frozen plasma and ST whole blood or ST plasma specimens revealed high nucleotide sequence identities and concordant resistance profiles (98.1% and 99.0%, and 96.6% and 98.9%, respectively). Our results indicate that with the current design, the ST may not be the ideal dried blood specimen collection device for HIVDR monitoring for ART patients in resource-limited settings.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active
  • Base Sequence
  • Blood Specimen Collection / instrumentation*
  • Blood Specimen Collection / methods
  • Dried Blood Spot Testing / instrumentation*
  • Dried Blood Spot Testing / methods*
  • Drug Resistance, Viral / genetics
  • Female
  • Genotype
  • HIV Infections / blood*
  • HIV Infections / drug therapy*
  • HIV Infections / genetics
  • HIV Infections / virology
  • HIV-1 / drug effects
  • HIV-1 / genetics
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Plasma / virology
  • Sequence Analysis, DNA
  • Specimen Handling
  • Viral Load